Off Days
by Danowsawa
Summary: Overwatch has been shut down. Such a heart-breaking development to Lena has only been exacerbated by her new need to find work beyond the free-flowing adventures alongside her peers. Despite Emily's pleas for her to be happy, Lena has no intention on being a leech, and dedicates all her brain power to finding work. Although, it may yet be tougher to handle than Talon ever was...
1. A Flash in the Diner

Lena's glazed-over eyes stared distantly into that blue yonder that emerged just beyond the glass panel before her, her head resting so studiously above her hands as she leaned closer to the sky-blue atmosphere that beckoned to her as if to embrace her within its airy nothingness, its matterless expanse, meeting with trails of pale clouds that merely acted as rings of cumulonimbus checkpoints for which to fly through on some voyage.

Her legs began to tense as she though of such a magnificent adventure, bursting through the stratosphere, tightly held by the g-forces that threatened to madden anybody else but her. Her skin crawls, her antsiness forcing trembles along her arms, her foot pattered restlessly as she imagined the pilot's seat of her Splitstream, the cozy belts that embraced her into a protective vice, meant only to keep her non-stop trailblazing from ending far too prematurely.

"Lena!"

A sigh left her, her eyes curling in saddened listlessness, thinking of nothing but breaking free from the shackles of the earth beneath her. freedom from the constricting uniform that so reminded her of her servitude, not to the vast sky, but to such a binding establishment of the very ground that threatened to-

"LENA!"

Her elbows slipped out from underneath her head in her shock, her face dipping dangerously close to the table beneath her before she caught herself, her daydreaming having gone far beyond anything usual to most people. She frightfully turned toward the counter yards away, her heavyset boss shooting a disapproving glance toward her as he tapped his wrist with a deliberate finger.

"Break's been over fer _two_ minutes! Get back behind the counter!" he ordered, shoving himself up off the counter to his feet and sauntering away, leaving Lena with a frown as she slammed her hands into the table, sliding herself out from the booth and rising to her feet, not bothering to fix the lace-lined apron that held uncomfortably tight to her, reminding her, nearly constantly, of the current position she was in.

She rounded the counter just as the pudgy man from a moment ago spun around, pointing toward two new customers at the bar, "Hey, Lena! These two need help!"

Lena offered her boss a quick scowl before turning toward the customers, cracking a totally-not-forced grimace of a smile as she approached them, whipping out her tablet and speaking with difficulty through gritted teeth, "Can…I…help…you..?"

"Uhh…" one of them answered unconvincingly, his companion with much the same conclusion.

Lena tapped a foot behind the counter, keeping her scowly sort of smile as she spoke up quietly, "The menu never changes…"

"Uhh…" the man replied once again before turning the menu back toward Lena, pointing down the list, "This comes with a side of eggs, correct?"

Seethingly close to tearing off her uniform and walking out, Lena merely answered coldly, "It says right above it… All those meals come with eggs and coffee…"

"Huh," the man muttered, bringing back to menu before returning to its apparently labyrinthine text, forcing Lena to breath in deep breaths to retain her composure.

"Any drinks, perhaps..?" she asked.

"Ehh…" the man replied, his companion finishing the thought, "Maybe just two waters."

Lena felt a shiver as she slid her small tablet into her apron pocket, "Two waters… Got it…"

She made a rigid turn before walking down the counter, her face still stuck in a grimacing smile that she might have been unable to return to had she taken it off, hearing the jingle of the front door of the diner as she clutched onto two plastic cups, turning to find Emily rushing in toward the counter, leaving Lena with weakened knees as she heaved in relief.

"Oh thank god," she sighed dramatically, taking in a deep breath, "Lunch time. I've only got two hours of this."

Emily stared at her with concern, "Dear, I'm headed out _to_ work; it's still eight o'clock."

Like a wounded animal, Lena made a whine as her shoulders sluggishly fell in defeat, her face cooling in distaste, "Wh-What..?"

"I know it's rough, babe," Emily consoled, leaning over the counter to rub Lena's arm to comfort her, "It's just for a short while, y'know? You'll be done before-"

"HEY!" barked Lena's boss from elsewhere, "That's not ServSafe! Glove it or shove it!"

Emily's eyes went wide in surprise, instinctively coiling her arm back toward herself as Lena frowned, pointing a thumb toward the kitchen as she whispered in close toward her partner, "I'm about to shove something, alright; blood ain't ServSafe either, you kn-"

"Lena, babe, just chill alright?" Emily begged lightly, wearing a sweet smile as she crossed her arms atop the counter as she leaned closer, "I thought you said seeing me makes it easier."

Frowning at such a display of tenderness despite her frustration, Lena couldn't help but shrug with feigned indifference, "I _suppose_ I did say that…"

Emily couldn't help but reveal a smirk as she brought her purse up onto the counter, working her way onto one of the stools, "Okay, then I _suppose_ I should help out a bit and have breakfast."

"But your office-"

"Bah, they can live without me for a half hour," Emily notes poignantly, raising an eye up toward Lena as she reached for a menu, "You probably couldn't, so…"

Lena couldn't help but widen her eyes in awe of such goodness, though it was quickly thwarted by her boss' cantankerous voice, "'ey! Lena!"

"I'm already helping her!" she growled in return, angrily, frowning as she returned to Emily's innocent-looking posture as she skimmed the menu, "May I help you?"

Emily eyes her with a smile, "May I help you-..?"

With a skeptical sort of frown, Lena's lips turned sour s she quietly muttered under her breath, "May I help you, _ma'am_..?"

Giggling, Emily nodded, "This is fun! I outta come here more often."

"Please don't," Lena grumbled, kicking a foot warily against the bottom of the counter, "Is hate you to see me like this."

"Okay, listen here, Oxton," Emily spoke up with a serious tone, "You're obviously miserable here; Over-… your place of business isn't just gonna return in the blink of an eye. You ought to pace yourself; why not quit?"

"Becaaause…" Lena sighed, her head whirling around her shoulders, "I've been self-sufficient since secondary school- I'm not about to live off you until my place of business is reinstated. If I have to kill myself to maintain that level of sustaining myself; I'm not about to leech of of my girlfriend- that's insanity!"

Emily's face darkened, "What if-"

"It _will_ be," Lena conformed, seriously, giving Emily a look that meant business, if in the tomboyish sense, "There's too many people out there with hope of it's return. Trust me."

Sighing, Emily shook her head while returning to her menu, "Just- Don't kill yourself if it happens to take a few years. I'd much rather you be happy than self-sustaining. I already told you, I'm fine with you staying with me until you're back on your feet."

"Oxtons _always_ land on their feet," Lena conformed with a stony face, "You think Halloween 2086's cat costume was just for fun?"

Emily shrugged, hiding a smirk as she remained buried in the flimsy paper of her menu, "I thought it was because I said I loved cats."

She gave a muted giggle as Lena leaned closer, speaking warily, "Look, I _do_ have a rep around here as a fearless individual without peer; I don't need people hearing-"

"LENA!" roared her boss, sending Lena sputtering back into the griddle behind her, "DRINKS! NOW!"

Recoiling in a split second, Lena saluted without thinking, hurriedly making her way to the water dispenser as the two men from earlier chatted without much of a care, save for their shock at the manager's shouting. Her eyes evasively wandered toward Emily, who merely hummer happily to herself as her head rocked back and forth rhythmically, going over the menu as Lena tried working the cold sweat at the back of her neck into her collar, quickly returning the cups to the absent-minded gentlemen before returning to Emily with a nervous expression.

"Ma'- Emily. What do you want?" Lena asked under her breath.

Smirking mischievously, Emily mused quietly, "Oh, fearless warrior, I wish to-"

Lena gave a droll expression as her tablet slid back into her apron, turning slowly to leave before Emily waved her back with a giggle, "Oh come now, dear. I'll be serious, alright?"

"Will you?" Lena asked skeptically.

Emily nodded, "Absolutely. I'll have the eggs benedict, two bits of bacon, and maybe sausage."

With an attentive nod, Lena grumbled to herself as she worked the tablet, "…alright. It just went back to the kitchen, so give it a few minutes."

"That sausage, it comes fearless, right?"

Lena's eyes arose with an unamused expression, leaving Emily to stifle a giggle with her hand, quickly reaching out to grab ahold of Lena's wrist, pulling her toward the counter toward her, "C'mere."

Answering with a certain nonchalance, Lena spoke, "My Boss is-"

"I don't care," Emily confirmed with a smile, pulling Lena until she leaned over the counter toward her, "You haven't a clue how happy I am that all I have to worry about with you is that you might be fired. I don't have to stay awake all night, waiting for a call to wrest away my fears of you taking a bullet. If I can do anything to make this life more enjoyable for you, I wouldn't dare deprive you of such a thing while I have you."

"If you truly hate it here," she continued, "Then quit. You kept me safe when you were with Overwatch, I'll keep you safe when you're without them, alright?"

Lena gave an obstinate sort of sigh before nodding, leaving Emily to conclude, "Think about it."

With that, she pulled Lena's arm even closer, allowing her to place a gentle kiss atop Lena's lips, hoping they weren't observed by the authoritative manager. She quickly allowed her partner to return to her professional demeanor, Emily covering what was sure to be a blush that only served to match her face with her hair, smiling as she lowered her face to hide a smile.

Lena sighed, her lips yanking to the side, "All I wanna do is sulk, and you just have to trounce on in here and make my day a bit better…"

"I know you enough," Emily confirmed, "For all the times one little thing makes your day bad, all you need is a little something good to make your day so. Need me to come here every day?"

Sighing regretfully, Lena shook her head, "No, no; I'll behave. I don't need _you_ missing work every day. I'd just look at my phone to see you if not for the draconian laws that this place abides by."

"Oh?"

Lena frowned, turning toward the register, "Yeah, Ol' Assface takes every one of our phones and tosses 'em into a basket beneath the counter over there."

Emily peered over toward the main counter, split off from the bar with only a register sitting atop it, "Over there?"

"Ye- Hey, what are you thinking?" Lena asked suddenly, turning toward Emily with a worried look.

Emily stick out her tongue as she spun away in her swivel stool, sliding off into her feet as she instructed, "Just her my breakfast; I'm in a hurry."

With a pale expression, Lena watched as Emily sauntered over toward the counter, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of intrusion from the kitchen. She arrived at the island register before giving one final look, swooping low and swerving around to the backside, finding a tiny basket there with a bevy of phones within it, hurriedly burying her hand inside the pile for a examining search.

Lena's wide eyes spun toward the kitchen to find her manager roving along the pass with a curly look of anger on his face, his bumbling frame moving along toward the register, leaving Lena to react in a panic. She dove toward the pass, slamming an open palm against the bell, sending an incessant pinging across the whole of the diner.

*dingdingdingdingdingdingdingdingding-

"LENA!"

Cowering suddenly, Lena slid closer to the pass as her boss spun back around to face her, saliva spewing from his mouth like venom, "WHAT IS IT?!"

"Uh," Lena muttered quietly, "I need an ETA on that water..?"

"BLAST IT ALL! That's _your_ job!" he screamed in a furious rant, throwing himself around in a angered movement to escape the situation, stomping back toward his office with a slam of his door.

Lena sighed with relief, pulling up her apron to wipe her brow just as Emily slid back atop her stool, leaving Lena with a quiet interrogation, "What the- Are you trying to get me fired?!"

Shrugging, Emily grinned, "Maybe a little; just so you'll find more pleasing work. Oh, and here."

She handed the phone from her pocket toward Lena, who accepted it rather reluctantly, "I had to dig and finally start looking at the start screens. Honestly, you have to change your case at the flip of a hat. Racing stripes suit you, though."

Lena emulated Emily's actions, tapping the screen and finding a picture she'd taken of the two of them, heads squeezed together, with their faces in varying states of elation, having just gotten off of a roller coaster. She smiled at the view, having to strip herself from its attention as a bell singer behind her, Emily's meal having been placed upon the pass within a paper bag, which only served to confuse the customer.

"I made sure to get it made to-go," Lena confirmed with a weak smile, "Go on and get outta here, okay? I don't need you wasting so much time on me; I'll see you tonight.

Emily rolled her eyes, "It's not _wasting_ ; I haven't had such a charming breakfast in quite some time. Besides, I love you. What more do I need as a reason to drop in on you at work?"

"A strong will," Lena groaned, eyeing the manager's office through the pass, "Seriously, go on. London ain't gonna design buildings itself."

Emily smiled, leaning over the counter as Lena dropped her paper bag of breakfast beside her, watching her red-headed beauty with confusion, though Emily was quick to ease such a feeling, "I'm not going anywhere until I get a kiss."

Gradually falling into a frown, Lena's face went pale with embarrassment, her eyes shifting from one end of the diner to the other, ascertaining who all might be there to watch the two of them. Still, as she went from one side to the other, she couldn't help such captivation at the hands of Emily's eyes, which peered up toward her with a sort of wry intent that betrayed any ambiguity toward her red-headed lover's plan to merely send Lena into such a state of nervousness. Lena always seemed to in control, or at the very, _very_ least, merely handling the unexpected with the sort of hard-headed rambunctiousness that left her unable to feel such nervousness anyway; the times Emily could truly witness Lena's blushing was a truly rare event, one that she cherished, knowing she was quite frankly the only person upon whom it showed, even if it was being done unintentionally.

Lena's crooked lips tugged to the side as her teeth bit into her bottom lip with a nervous thought or two, finally shooting her upper body down across the bar with a spurious flash of movement, taking a sliver of the taste that accompanied Emily's lips in that flash. Emily had barely seen her move, though her touch lingered, leaving her with a contented smile as Lena reached up to yank at her uniform, trying to pull it from side to side in a vain attempt at making her chronal accelerator somewhat less of an impediment to her comfort.

"He'd have a fit if he knew I was wearing this- he'd probably think it's some kind of spy tech. or worse; a cell phone…" Lena groaned.

Emily giggled before sliding up to her feet, grabbing at her to-go bag after anchoring her purse from her shoulder, "Don't fret too much. It'll be over soon enough."

"I sure hope so," Lena more or less growled under her breath as she battled the fabric of her uniform, "This place hasn't a bloody thought of the words 'form-fitting' or 'aerodynamic'…"

"Just make sure…" Emily spoke up in a teasing voice as she reached into her pocket, sliding a fiver across the counter toward Lena, "-you don't bring work home with you."

Lena continued to wrangle with her outfit, unaware of the tip, or bribe, that Emily had just left her, "I'll try, but I don't think my body will remain unscathed from the bloody red marks this thing'll- OW!"

Rolling her eyes at the scene before her, Emily merely smirked with amusement as she turned to leave, planting an adequate amount of quid at the register before tarrying along toward the door, wanting to catch every moment of Lena's characteristic childishness before exiting, leaving Lena alone to throw her body from side to side, yanking down her apron, and fuming angrily until she'd finally-

"LENA!"

She bolted to the side, catching her boss' ire as he returned to count the register, "Quit bein' a bother! This IS NOT a place to dance!"

Lena's lips curled into a frown, though she ultimately answered with a lowly, "Yes sir."

"Now tend to the other customers!" he screamed, "I see tables without plates!"

As she took a wayward glance toward the diner, she caught a glimpse of the sky through the window, remembering so vaguely her days in Overwatch. Such freedom was now foreign to her, leaving a downtrodden sigh to escape her as she hung her head low, rounding the countertop to attend to the customers, when her ears perked up to the sound of knocking on the glass, sending her attention upward in a dash, finding Emily staring back at her from outside, not having left the storefront yet.

Emily reached a single finger up to press against her lips before pulling her phone up to her ear, leaving Lena slightly confused. Her distant thoughts were short lived, however, when she suddenly heard a rather annoying jingle coming from the register, the unmistakable sound of a stock ringtone going off beneath the manager as he threw himself away from the counter, his ravenous eyes hunting down the source of the annoyance before he buried his hands into the bucket of cell phones he'd absconded with for the day.

*ding DING d-d-ding ding, d-ding d-*

"WHAT IS THIS RACKET?!" he cried, venom spewing from his lips as he rummaged through the bucket to find the phone making the noise, desperately attempting to shut it off.

Lena couldn't help but bury her face into her open hand to hide her giggling, surprised she didn't simply burst out in laughter at the scene down the bar. She turned to see Emily sticking her tongue out in the direction of her boss before turning to Lena with a wink, making a kissing motion with her lips before sauntering off, her phone still to her ear.

*d-d-ding ding, d-ding d-DING ding*

"BLASTED PIECE A' JU-"

The phone stopped, having automatically gone to voice mail, leaving the manager hobbled over on his knees beneath the register, winded and exhausted from his furious attacks toward the bucket of phones, warily rising to his feet as he assured the customers, windlessly, "Okay, alright; my apologies! There won't be anymore-"

*ding DING d-d-ding*

"WHAT THE ACTUAL BLOODY HELL?!" he screamed, throwing himself down underneath the counter as Lena quickly spun away, covering her face with both hands to conceal her incessant laughter.

The days were truly better when she had Emily involved, she thought to herself.


	2. A Grueling Retreat

The ginger creaking of the door into Emily's flat signaled, already, Lena's disheartened movement, her usual entrances usually far more explosive. She kept her head low as she stepped quietly into the entryway, pushing the door closed until the sound of it slotting into the frame rung out through the immediate area, causing the skin at the back of Lena's neck to crawl in fright, though she calmed soon enough as Emily hadn't called out to her. Ashamedly, she quietly stepped into the kitchen, wearing a frown the entire way, leaving a prolonged sigh hanging in the air as she lifelessly stepped into the kitchen.

Like a frightened cat, Lena's shoulders recoiled backward as the light flew on prematurely, Emily standing in the adjacent walkway into the kitchen, her face spun in confusion, "Lena? I _thought_ I heard you come in."

In a second, Lena's face arose into a look of dignity as she took a step into the kitchen, "I worked late, so I just figured I wouldn't bother you with making dinner twice. If you don't mind me using your appliances, it would be quite appreciated."

"No- Not at all," Emily muttered with confusion at Lena's attitude, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Lena assured, unconvincing in her disheartened tone, "Just- Please don't concern yourself with me; I can make my own dinner and be able to join you afterwards. Until then, I'm still a guest in your home, and I find it proper to ask permission-"

As she spoke, Lena had begun unloading her sack of groceries onto the counter, earning a critiquing glance from Emily as she continued speaking, "-especially when partaking in something as intrusive a using a stovetop for an extended-"

"Rye flour, milk- Lena, are you making gruel?!" Emily asked in sheer astonishment.

Frowning, Lena replied, "I told you; I'm not about to spend beyond my means. I just so happened to have gotten fired for throwing a hot pan to my boss, so my money's gonna be short for a bit until I can-"

"You threw a pan at him?!"

" _To_. I said _to_ ," Lena clarified with a groan, "Until I find another job, I'm gonna have to live as such. I knew the consequences; I'm prepared to live with them."

Lena began digging through the cabinet above her to find a pot before turning to fill it up with water, returning her attention back toward Emily with a start, "H-Hey!"

Emily had approached the counter and pulled the sack of rye flour toward her, giving Lena a pithy glance, "No girlfriend of mine is going to shove in such a menial sort of food for a meal. You can argue your way into finding a job while Overwatch is gone, but I'm not about to watch you go without."

She reached into her spice drawer and began pulling out label-made containers, "Honestly, Lena, how little do you think I care?"

"I know you do," Lena shrugged as she crossed her arms, "But _I_ care equally as much, and I haven't-"

"Ah-ah!" Emily sounded as if stealing the attention of a disobedient pup, "My house, my rules. I'm not about to let my girlfriend come over for the night and have her make _gruel_ as a meal. I've got some leftover beef and a bit of rice; we're gonna make some congee."

Lena eyed her carefully, a look of disdain spinning into one of curiosity as Emily began pulling down mixing bowls, the red head's voice breaking through incredulously, "You got fired _today_? How on earth are you already eating gruel? You've gotten a paycheck already."

Crossing her arms nervously, Lena pouted as her eyes turned away to hide their wavering gaze, refusing to answer until Emily finally went on, "Pass me the the thing of olive oil, please."

Lena did so, earning an impatient glare from Emily as she worked the bowl of rice and oil together, the pilot biting her lip unsurely as Emily's mind silently churned, her voice suddenly appearing, "…you didn't spend it all at the arcade again, did you?"

"Hey! I earned it! If I want to beat some pipsqueak's high score on that game with the moving cockpit, you better believe I'll send that punk crying home to his momma!" Lena proclaimed with a shout tinged with both triumph and insecurity.

Emily sighed, "Lena, I don't care, but you really shouldn't be so frivolous; certainly not to the point of eating flour soup."

The stove clicked on as Emily positioned the bowl, allowing it to heat as she stepped toward Lena, grabbing her hands and holding them in between her own pair, staring down as she snuck her fingers into her lovers', the two entwining into a pale warmth resulting from Emily's cooking. She smiled just as warmly, her face hidden from her pilot as she did so, running a thumb along the snowy white skin that now joined to her own.

"I truly meant it- When I said it's my turn to protect you. You protect me from bad guys, or whatever else, and not only that, but you do it well," Emily confirmed with a deep confidence, "If I'm to protect you from homelessness or a thin wallet, then I want to do it just as well as you. Y'know, you are just a bit special to me."

Lena frowned at how open Emily was being, slightly begrudged by her own insensitivity, though her heart fell as Emily spoke further, running an open palm along the back of Lena's hand, "You know, my mother always said you wouldn't make me happy. That was her last ditch effort to convince me not to be who I was, before she disowned me just as my father had."

Her head rose up to reveal a sincere smile, "How wrong she was."

Lena's eyes wandered off to hide her embarrassment, though she did reply, "I mean, it's not like I did anything…"

"You did plenty," Emily confirmed easily before pulling away to attend to her lover's meal, "But, that's a topic for our anniversary. or Valentine's. I don't know yet; it might just annoy you enough on the second one."

Groaning, Lena leaned back against the counter, "Heartfelt words to ruin such a shallow holiday?"

"Exactly," Emily giggled mutely, humming to herself as she stirred in some herbs and the leftover cuts of meat, leaving Lena to peer over her shoulder with curious intent as the pot let loose an aroma of intense delight.

Lena curled her lips, reaching a single finger over for a taste before Emily popped her hand with a playful slap, the pilot dramatically yanking her hand back into her chest to be mended by her other hand, Emily grinning toward her the whole time.

"Ow!" Lena whined, "That hurt!"

Emily stuck her tongue out, "You know how I feel about eating before food has been plated."

"Oh, c'mon," Lena begged, taking another swipe toward the congee while Emily giggled another slap toward her hand, "You _just_ said it's my job to protect you from evil! How do you possibly know I didn't just wrangle me a sack of evil flour and some corrupted rice?!"

Her crimson-haired lover continued swiping Lena away as she broke into laughter, the pilot continuing to goad, "I need to make sure it's safe to eat!"

"No you don't!" Emily finished between an open grin, finally going for the source and pushing at Lena's shoulder to move her away, "I told you. No eating until it gets plated."

Lena's head rolled along her shoulders, "Fiiiiine. Lemme have something to do then. I don't want to feel like a lump."

"I've seen you after a fourteen-hour movie binge- you _are_ a lump," Emily smirked.

A critical eye met Emily as she stuck out her tongue, "Fine; go heat up one of those steaming bags of vegetables from the freezer."

"Oh, come on; something _important_ ," Lena pleaded helplessly.

Emily assured her, "Veggies _are_ important. and they _are_ something you won't eat like candy beforehand."

"…toosh," Lena grumbled as she spun around to perform her task, Emily watching her with a confused face.

" _Touché_ , love."

Lena replied heatedly, "I know! You know how we Oxtons feel about French!"

"Actually, I don't," Emily replied as she crossed her arms, spinning toward Lena as if she were fully prepared for an in-depth story chock full of astonishing revelation, "But please, I'd love to be enlightened."

An exasperated groan left Lena before she could read the instructions on the packet of veggies, "It's too unfortunate and sad a tale…"

Slightly disappointed, Emily returned to her pot with a quick, "Okay, get that going and then…"

Her lips curled inward uncertainly, wondering if Lena's happiness were worth the trouble, even though it certainly was, "Then you can mix up some ice cream for desse-"

"No fooling?!" Lena shouted excitedly, nearly punching in the wrong numbers on the microwave before starting it and hopping toward the freezer with a maddening dash, leaving Emily with a contented smile.

Lena quickly yanked two pints of ice cream out from the fridge, having already been set in there to thaw by her partner, and slid them out from underneath her arms and onto the counter, her eyes glazed over as she watched her fingers pry the lids loose.

This had become a tradition of theirs, having started back during one of their earliest dates. Having roamed around the city, the two sharing their own separate portions of ice cream, Emily suddenly had to rush off for a business phone call, handing off her ice cream cup to Lena for safekeeping. Catching a glimpse of some no-good-doers just happening to follow behind her crimson-haired angel, Lena quickly became concerned, and during her tailing, had inadvertently dumped Emily's cup of orange sherbet into her own container of cookies and cream, in characteristic fleeting of mind for Lena, before discovering a very confused Emily once Lena had jumped the two men who were simply on their way to work.

The concoction, while tangy beyond belief, thus become something toward symbolic of Lena's intense protective spirit toward Emily, a rather chivalrous act for the red haired woman whose own parents had always been so fleeting with conditional love her entire life. Some of Emily's earliest memories had revolved around having to 'buy' her parent's affections, or even parental protection, one time having to do well on a test at school before being allowed Christmas.

Having somebody, Lena, who hadn't a second thought when it came to watching over her, or indeed, spending any amount of time with her, was one of the earliest indicators of Emily's love for this woman. This pilot-woman's continued flightiness and lack of deep thought only proving, again and again, that there was very little for Lena to think about when it came to Emily, a fact that wooed her quite readily early on.

"Make sure the consistency is correct," Emily instructed, not exactly liking the consistency of Lena's favorite ice cream.

The pilot scoffed, "Oh please, I've done this a thousand times; I know how you like it! Remember when you were stuck in bed with the flu and I made it a point to rush home and bring you some? We even shared it in bed together!"

Emily's lips churned with ill thoughts as Lena asked confidently, "It's the cookies you _do_ like, right?"

Her head falling to hide an unsure grin, Emily shook her head, "I was already sick, so I didn't bother saying anything last time…"

Now disappointed in herself, Lena's brow fell with frustration, turning to the bowl and quickly beginning to pick out the cookie bits to save for her own bowl, "Sorry."

"It's fine, dear," Emily assured, shrugging, "It's only ice cream, after all. Now, if you'd messed up your gruel, now _that_ , you might have been in a bind."

Emily reached a finger over to try a bit of the swirled concoction, leaving Lena to swat her away in kind, "Hey! Why do _you_ get a taste?"

"Because, out of everything I've ever cooked for you, what have you ever disliked?"

Lena frowned, already knowing the answer, though Emily continued with a wry smile, "I know for a fact you'll love the congee. but I may not like the ice cream as it stands. Sooo…"

Taking a swipe into the half-melted blend of dessert, Emily began to pull her arm up for a taste, though before she could, Lena suddenly reached out to grab hold of her wrist, pulling her hand in the opposite direction, aiming Emily's open finger toward her mouth. Emily's eyes widened as Lena took in her finger, swirling her tongue along its tip, careful to find whatever bit of ice cream she could, leaving a fierce blush across Emily's face that all but matched her hair.

With a _pop_ , Lena pulled her head back away from Emily's finger, allowing a smarmy sort of grin to cross her face, "Now tell me how I was supposed to plate _you_ before doing that."

"I- That's not-" Emily stammered nervously, an embarrassed rumbling flowing through her gut at the appearance of Lena's sudden arrogance.

Lena giggled, defeating the air she was probably wholly unaware of, before returning to the concoction, smirking, "Needs a bit more sherbet."

Emily watched with still-shaky nerves, the only thing able to free her from that trance being the sudden bubbling of her own dish, forcing her attention back toward the congee as she rapidly stirred it to catch up, muttering under her breath, "…so not fair."

"Hey, love, you're at the top of the list, but food is still somewhere up there," Lena explained with a grin, "I'll fight dirty if I have to on both counts. Oxton Family Virtue."

She gave a sidelong glance toward Emily, "Besides, you look so lovely when you match."

"I-"

"You matched when you came into the diner, too," Lena smiled with a sincere tone, "Coming in from the cold like that. Red nose, red cheeks. No wonder I love you dressing in green; it's like Christmas all year round."

Emily's lips pursed, "You think you're so clever, huh? You're still not getting a taste until plating, no matter how sweet and adorable you are."

"Oh c'mon!" Lena pleaded, her hands clutching together as she begged, "It smells so good!"

Her lover grinned, "Not much longer."

Pouting once again, Lena returned to preparing their mixed dessert, focusing until she felt a pat on her arm, turning toward Emily as she recoiled her hand with a sincere smile, "I love you."

"Love you too," Lena smiled, "You don't know-"

"Oh, just take a bite already," Emily allowed with a defeated shrug, Lena immediately taking her up on the offer, "You're just too cute sometimes."

"MMM!" Lena gasped behind her closed mouth, both from the heat and from the taste, finally managing through tight lips, "I's goob!"

Emily rolled her eyes at the scene, returning to her dish with a smile, directed toward the woman whose job it seemed to be to never allow that flicker of light that brought fun and joy to end. For a moment, she recalled the life she led before this woman so accidentally came into her view of the world, Lena's entire being nearly brightening every facet of her life.

She often imagined having words that could adequately express to Lena what her companionship truly meant to her, though they couldn't ever fully cross her mind. She knew, too well, that she hadn't the words, though that only made each kiss that much more special to her, each one being yet another affirmation in a lengthening streak of such things. She knew to cherish each touch she shared with this woman, especially when she would disappear at random intervals for work, and considering such things, any one of those sudden disappearances could very well be her last.

Lena hyperventilated with a wide open mouth, trying her best to soothe the damage that had been done by inhaling such heated food, holding her head back to allow her hand the ability to wave at her mouth, trying to push whatever cool air she could to touch her inflamed tongue. She suddenly felt Emily's arms wrapping around her, catching her attention as her head jolted back down to catch Emily's eyes ready to stare right back into hers, before reaching her face over, catching Lena in a kiss, accompanied by chilled lips that instantly began to soothe the pilot's ailment.

At that moment, Emily pushed a bit of ice cream from her own mouth into Lena's, though the two continued their kiss, even after Lena's scorched mouth had ceased merely by the cunning embrace by her lover's lips. She confidently wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, pulling her close as the red-head reached up to hold onto Lena's cheeks, their eyes closed to allow them nothing more than their dancing tongues to focus on existing, not until Emily finally pulled away with a regretful bite at her bottom lip.

"I truly mean it," she confirmed, deeply, "I love you. Nobody else could make me as happy as you d-"

Lena grinned, causing Emily to lose her breath as she held her forehead against her lover's, their twinkling eyes meeting in a wondrous bit of starlight, "I know. I don't intend to stop any time soon."

At that moment, it truly felt to Emily that she'd never have a chance to ever question those words. Not now. Not ever.


	3. Missing Sleep

Emily was deep into her sleep, catching dreams before they were forgotten, replaced by another as the night ran along, her arms wrapped around her pillow to keep her head perched so comfortably atop the bundle of fluff. She would only occasionally shift in her sleep, and even then, it was often only when she awoke for some unknown reason, readjusting to find sleep once again after a quick look at her alarm clock, though this habit, or lack of a habit, was quite easily attributed to her time and effort in search of her mattresses.

On the other hand, Lena was quite often restless in her sleep, or rather, she was incredibly restful, though she would just as notably toss and turn. It didn't take Emily long after the two had begun sharing their sleeping space to realize this, though to her thanks, Lena usually remained on her side, with only a few fretful nights leaving a foot or elbow to find its way into Emily's back, causing a rather disheveled Emily to frown her way back to sleep.

It easily could have been attributed to how much energy Lena withheld while sleeping, unable to exert much beyond heavy breaths and the occasional growl of a snore. Her body would simply grow restless as she lay there, almost unconsciously choosing to find some movement as the body's mind remained lost in sleep. or perhaps it was a side effect of her chronal accelerator. Lena often giggled at the thought of being more like a dolphin, in that she might certainly be able to be only half-asleep at any time, though Winston assured her that wasn't the case. That fact still didn't stop her from billowing out from the ocean or pool whenever she and Emily went swimming as though she were one.

Tonight, at least for a few hours, the night passed at it did any other. Emily was lost in dreams of work, which she found odd, though she sometimes simply found darkness in her sleep, too deep in sleep for dreams at all. Beside her, Lena was on her back, her limbs sprawled out wildly as her mouth fluttered rhythmically as she breathed in time with the crawling minutes. The two shared the bed like a dance, ebbing and flowing blankets back and forth without waking thoughts, leaving the both of them more or less satisfied the following morning after they'd caught up on their-

"Ow!" Emily cried, having been shaken from her sleep, quickly turning her head over her shoulder to eye Lena, who still remained asleep.

Her brow furrowed worriedly, certainly having felt something of a kick into her back, though she slowly returned her head to her feather-filled pillow, closing her eyes with only a mere thought of what had just happened as she began to will herself back to sleep, when suddenly, another swift kick landed at her lower back, forcing her head back over her shoulder.

"Bloody hell, Lena!" she began, though it didn't do anything to wake the sleeping pilot.

Emily spun around to face her partner as she reached over to take a hold of Lena's pillow, which so very often wasn't of use to the sprawling woman, and brought it to her side as she began to spin back arou-

"OW!" she cried as Lena's foot happened to land into her stomach, leaving Emily recoiling in mild pain, slamming the pillow against her body where Lena seemed determined to attack in her sleep.

She gave Lena's sleeping face a furious glare, though it grew into a look of confusion as the pilot began to grumble in her sleep, or rather, rumble.

"Gggggghrrrrrrr," Lena sounded, her voice like an engine being revved before another kick, though this time, Emily was awake enough to aim the pillow proper, catching Lena's wayward foot.

The red head grumbled exhaustedly as she turned to her usual sleeping position, taking care to leave the pillow in place as she did so, closing her eyes in a further attempt to regain the sleep that had been stripped from her. Soon enough, she felt the waking world begin to evaporate away as her mind slowed, dropping her into a deeper, deeper state of sleep, her mind just a second away from falling away entirely toward-

"Ggggghhhrrrrr."

A massive slamming kick flew into the pillow, sending Emily's eyes wide open as she went tumbling off the bed, hitting the floor with a _THUD_ before rolling to a stop, her eyes shutting again in both mild pain and severe tire. She grumbled a few words to herself as she shook her head, simply rolling back toward the bed, close enough to catch a handful of blanket that now hung from the bed, curling up into its clutches to simply fall asleep there instead, having no current will to battle a furious flighter in a state where friend and foe were unable to be discerned.

* * *

Emily sat at the dining room table, eyes shut as her hands cupped a mug of coffee, careful to leave it sitting on the wooden table itself for fear of collapsing into sleep and being on the receiving end of a scorching ride. Her legs were brought up into the chair as she sat cross-legged in her pajamas, her hair a wild mess as a result of the just-as-wild night before, leaving her as restless as she was now.

Her soul twanged in an angry shiver as Lena's footsteps suddenly arrived, the pilot stretching out her arms dramatically as her torso fell backwards to stretch out her back as she yawned, "Waaaaaaaah, what a night. I usually forget how comfy your bed is; what'd you say was the secret?"

Emily's lips pursed displeasurably beneath her closed eyes, mumbling a reply heard only by herself, "Thousandcountsheetsareascamthataremultipleply. Youneedtofindgoodqualityonesatthreehundredto-"

"Mmm, bacon and eggs sound good!" Lena spoke aloud happily, leaning out from the kitchen to seek out whatever it was Emily had made for herself, "Didn't feel like making anything food-wise? Don't worry; Captain Oxton has ya covered, love! I'll whip you up a breakfast of champions!"

"You'vealreadywhippedmeup," Emily murmured under her breath, beneath Lena's ability to hear, though as she heard the fridge close, she warned just as quietly, "Don'tjustslamtheeggsintothesinktocrack-"

"WAAAH!" Lena cried out, "It's everywhere!"

Emily lowered her head as her hands shook with exhaustion, silently begging herself for another sip of coffee as she sat there restlessly, drowning out the chaos that usually accompanied Lena's cooking. Beyond being too tired to care, she was also still slightly upset by Lena's swift kicks from the night before, figuring in her own exasperated way that cleaning some egg off the counter would be a proper punishment.

"AH! The bacon too!" cried Lena.

Well, cleaning some egg _and_ bacon from off the counter.

She took another desperate swig of coffee, though she was too far gone, leaving the enchanted elixir with very little effect. Still, she tried, ever so carefully, bringing up the mug again and again to her face as time sputtered along, leaving her more and more frustrated at the bounding chaos taking place in just the other room.

"E-Em?!" Lena shouted desperately from the other room, "How do I know when waffle batter is the right consistency?"

Emily's lips curled, "Why don't you just _kick_ it to find out?"

"Huh?" Lena asked incredulously, "How would that- AH!"

 _CRASH_

Another sip of coffee as Emily sat there, the liquid doing little to perk her up, though it did help her disassociate from the madness that was going on at her side. She enjoyed the warmth of the porcelain within her hands, and by now, she'd drank enough of the stuff that her narrowly-opened eyes could spot the fox head of the statuette that was built into the mug to be discovered, her hazel eyes showing barely as her cheeks turned upward in a mild smile at the sight.

In the next second, a plate of food appeared before her, leaving her eyes to flash open in surprise before looking up toward Lena's bright face, "Breakfast is served, love!"

Not a second later, Lena pulled a flasky vase from behind her back, filled with a colorful lily, placing it to the side as though it were a fancy accoutrement to be seen in a restaurant. Emily's smile widened as she shook her head in disbelief.

"You're too cute," was all she could manage by now, the upset roiling within her immediately evaporating at the presence of Lena's result of intense trial and error, all for her sake.

Lena smiled proudly before hurrying back into the kitchen for her own share, warping in a burst of atmosphere back toward the table, eager to eat as she started scarfing down her own breakfast meal. Emily couldn't help her crooked grin as she stared at the waffle that sat in a plate all its own, its boxes having been turning into chocolate chip pixel art of a smiling face with what seemed to be intense eye shadow, though the promise of more chocolate didn't do anything to deter her appreciation of the thing.

"Okay!" Lena proclaimed with a curved bit of bacon peering out from her mouth, "After I get ready, I'm gonna head out and find another job. Not at a diner, dear lord; somewhere fun, y'know? Maybe a zookeeper or something."

Emily's eyes widened in terror, pondering over the odds of Lena's chronal accelerator _somehow_ ending up on a giraffe or something just so the pilot could see what would happen, though she quickly put an end to her red-headed partner's worry with a quick, "Well, nah; you might need a zoology degree for that. We Oxtons are born with a degree in kicking ass, not zoology."

Emily watched her with muted skepticism, though Lena simply went on, "Maybe a kick boxer…"

" _Or_ , a flight instructor?" Emily offered.

Frowning, Lena replied while poking at her food, "Meh, tried that. _Apparently_ , you have to be a licensed pilot before they let you teach anybody…"

"Hold up," Emily spoke up with her two hands in the air, "You expect me to sit here while you run off and fly around and you _don't_ want me worrying about the girl swooping around without a pilot's license?!"

Lena gave a nervous stare, realizing a particular cat had been let out from within her Overwatch-themed bag, "Well, I mean, you've seen what I fly around in! It's all experimental junk anyway; most aircraft guys wouldn't even be able to tell a wibble from a wobble!"

Exasperated, Emily brought her finger and thumb together atop her nose, shaking her head, "Ugh, never mind. Look, before you do _anything_ , we need to figure out how to get you tired. If you haven't been able to tell from my messy hair, last night was a nightmare with you kicking me, probably because you're not exhausting yourself with Overwatch gone."

Confused, Lena cocked her head to the side, replying with sincere obliviousness, "Messy? You look as beautiful as ever."

A sudden blush forced Emily to lower her head, "N-Nevertheless, you should probably get a job that's more physical than standing behind a counter, just so you're not kicking me all night."

"That'd make it a tad difficult," Lena frowned, "I mean, I love rushing around, but with the Omnic job force, I just dunno how many physical jobs are seeking out people. I can certainly- OH!"

She slammed her fist into the table with a triumphant vigor, leaving Emily to quickly grasp her mug and the thin vase before they could tip over, "I jammed in two pounds for that one piloting game at the arcade! It wasn't like soaring through the nether, but I thought I got a bit winded by the end!"

Releasing her hold on the two objects in her hands, Emily wondered aloud with a skeptical tone, "…this isn't just a reason to get back to the arcade, is it?"

"Pfft, of course not! What kinda girl d'ya think I am?!" Lena scoffed before noticing Emily's turned lips, her partner unconvinced, "Okay, you're right, but I'm serious this time! C'mon, I'll even take you and show you; you're off today, right?"

Emily sighed, "Yeah, I am."

"And to recoup your lost time, we can go by the cinema and see that film you've been wanting to see," Lena offered with a wry tone.

Her partner frowned, "I know how you are while sitting still for two hours; no thanks."

Lena gave a wink, "Maybe that's the point."

She lifted herself up to her feet, leaning over the table to close the gap between the two of them, "Two hours in a cinema with _me_ sitting still. Not moving a muscle. Not poking you for attention."

Emily's eyes narrowed, "…deal."

"Excellent!" Lena proclaimed in triumph, throwing a fist into the air, "I'll go get ready!"

Emily returned to her breakfast with a contented sigh, knowing Lena's promise would very probably be void within a half hour of sitting there in the dark theater with nothing to interest her. Still, the fact that she was so willing to at least try meant something to her, and her lips turned up into a smile at the thought. She watched the last bit of coffee swirling at the bottom of her mug, the fox figurine within fully exposed, affectionately called 'Andy' after Lena had already purchased it for her, claiming that her hair matched the wild creatures.

Even with its messy mass, Emily noted, her lover had nothing but the best to say about her hair, reaching up to poke through its tangled strands in deepening reverence for the woman she loved. Lena was always so flighty and inconsistent, though when it came to Emily, she was the most dependable being on Earth; such loyalty remaining a large part of Emily's affection for her, recalling so many who'd left her with so little.

Finishing her coffee, she took her last bite of egg as she stood up, making her way back toward her bedroom to prepare for her shower in preparation for the day, pausing as she turned toward the kitchen, finding it spotless, at least by Lena's standards, the pilot having even cleaned up the mess for her. Emily shook her head with a smile, disbelief tinging her emotions as she stepped toward her room, such things proving that her feelings toward Lena were quite readily mutual.


	4. Arcade Camaraderie

Lena howled feverishly as she ducked and dodged, her hands nearly turning red from how tightly she was handling the steering wheel of the arcade game, having immediately dove into its cockpit not a second after entering the dark-lit game room. She excitedly veered from side to side, the mechanical cockpit she'd hopped into mimicking her in-game moves as she winded through asteroid fields, trying to shoot down alien starships while her voice roared exuberantly .

"Woo hoo!" she shouted excitedly, her heart running a mile a minute as she played, "You catchin' this, Em?!"

As the game continued its raucous activity, Emily stood from behind, leaning onto a different arcade game cabinet as her head dipped down, sleeping as she stood their after her tire had returned from her coffee-fueled escape. She would often awake at some wild noise being made by the game, or more usually, by Lena, though it was only momentary, leaving her to quickly return to sleep as her shoulder slumped against the inside of the cabinet.

"Ye-ah!" Lena shouted with unceremonious excitement, the faux cockpit she was sitting in shaking uncontrollably as she worked her way further and further through the game.

At her latest exclamation, Emily nodded awake, picking her head up and reaching up to massaged the back of her neck with a wince as she spoke up, yawning, "Waaah, how long's it been? An hour? Wow; not a bad nap."

"Woooo!"

Emily shrugged the sleep from herself as she collected herself, checking her phone to recall the movie times, pricing a showing occurring within the next span of time, examining Lena careening through the virtual universe, "Alright love, I believe you now. If it keeps me from a sleeping assault, we'll come here every other night or so just to tire you out."

"Woo hoo!" Lena proclaimed happily, turning her head over her shoulder toward her partner, her body whirling about, "I tOoOoOold yOoOoOou!"

Emily rolled her eyes alongside a grin as she flipped through her phone, "We've got about ten minutes until we need to head- Oof!"

She stumbled to the side, turning to find a lithe-looking Omnic had pushed her out of its way, aiming for the arcade machine she'd found her nap-space within. Emily recoiled with deepened eyes, backing away as the rectangular head of the machine-man churned around from side to side as it examined the machine, it's robot hand sitting atop the cabinet to work the controls as its other hand worked a coin into the machine, beginning a cacophony of bells and whistles as the game started up.

Emily watched curiously as the robotic movements of the machine-man spun and worked at a quickening speed, the arcade cabinet beginning to quicken as well, until a whistle began to ring out, like the tape from a cassette being ripped out while being in use, the mechanical insides of the cabinet whirring creakily until a burst of ozone caught the air, a flurry of sparks shooting out from the the Omnic's neck as its head spun around, the arcade cabinet immediately shutting off after a blip of blue light signaled its cut power.

Aghast, Emily hurried away, closing in on Lena as the pilot spun around in her seat, alerted to the large squeal of fuses being blown out, gasping as the Omnic teetered back and forth, its joints still shaking from the aftershock.

"D-Did it lose..?" Lena asked with wide eyes, clutching the rim around her cockpit to pull herself around to examine the scene.

At that time, a deep voice roared out from behind the smoking wreckage of whirring parts, the owner of the arcade furiously shouting, "Goddamn Omnics! Bloody hell!"

He strode around the side of the machine, his face twisting with anger as he yelled out, "You again?! Get your kicks somewhere else, ya fuckin' can!"

The Omnic whirred to life slowly, as if heeding the man's warning, before creaking to turn away, it's mechanical joints taking it back toward the entrance, leaving the owner furiously examining his shorted out cabinet, "For fuck sake; I just fixed- What in the bloody hell're _you_ two doin' here?!"

He spun with a furious stare toward the two women, forcing Lena to slowly fall into the cockpit as though to slink away, though the men yelled out wrist dismay before she could disappear, "Get the fuck outta that thing! Now! Ya know these are all defective, right? Half of 'em will kill a human; that's why they ship this shit here to this Omnic arcade."

Emily dropped her head is distrust, covering her face with an open palm as embarrassment settled in, though Lena retorted with a forceful, "Well, yeah! I knew that; that's why we were sneaking in!"

"Sneakin'-?! How the crap long've ya two- GET OUT of that contraption!"

Lena frowned harshly, grumbling under her breath as she began pushing her way out of the arcade machine, leaving Emily to speak up apologetically, "I'm so, so sorry sir; I hadn't a clue, otherwise I would have-"

"Don't apologize to _him_ ," Lena growled, "He called that Omnic a tin can; he doesn't need- WHOA!"

Her second foot hooked onto the rim of the seat, causing the whole mechanism to come to life, creaking a sickening rolling of springs and misfiring apparatus, the entire plane section falling right toward where Lena stood.

Emily spun around with wide eyes as the owner cried out in terror, "Hey, get outta-!"

Before the entire machine could collapse onto Lena, she vanished in a haze of pale blue light, the collection of bluish atmosphere carrying itself a few meters away where Lena reappeared, watching the crumbling machine with disappointment, a frown appearing there which only frustrated the owner even more.

"How'in tha-?! You just-?! Somethin' just saved ya life 'n you're frowning?!"

Emily sighed, clutching her chest as her heart flew a thousand miles an hour, her head falling in exasperation, "She just does that…"

"Oh, yeah!" Lena smirked triumphantly, lifting an arm as though posing for a comic book cover, "I'm, uh, an undercover secret agent- No! Im a super spy. No, wait!"

"She's built different," Emily concludes with a wary smile, though the owner crossed his arms at her revaluation, watching Lena with narrowed, critiquing eyes.

He muttered, "So, that're there- It wasn't a flooke? You just do that?"

Lena nodded proudly before bursting into the nether once again, a blue dust quickly evaporating in her place, though it wasn't a second later she had returned, holding up a toolbox she'd gotten from…wherever. The owner's eyes widened in astonishment, though it only led him to ask aloud with a serious voice.

"Hey, with somethin' like that- All this junk is recalled and unfit for human use, so they just sorta throw it all my way, but these Omnics that hang around, these cabinets weren't made with 'em in mind, so in constantly fixing them- and nearly getting killed in the process. Ya think ya could-"

"Are you asking me to take a job?!" Lena finished for him with an aghast look on her face.

The owner shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "It'd be for chump change, really, but with you dippin' n' divin' and all that, you can be in and out to your job- it's mostly be helpin' me out. Oh, and all the games you wanna play."

His final two words reverberated throughout Lena's mind, his voice echoing into her ear, "…for free."

Still, as though she were a free agent athlete, Lena waved Emily closer, muttering just loud enough for the owner to hear, "Sidebar, Em."

Her partner sighed, but went along with the 'huddle', which was basically Lena pulling Emily closer by pulling down on her shoulders, leaving the pilot to murmur quietly, "I think it's solid, Em. I mean, paid to play video-?!"

"If you play your plane game before coming home, I don't see a downside," Emily shrugged, "I don't _need_ you doing anything, but if it helps you feel like you're not an encumbrance, which, by the way, you are not, then _why_ not?"

Lena nodded, buying time, almost like she was wanting the owner to sweat, even though he only meandered toward the fried machine from a few minutes ago, examining it to see what damage had been done before Lena could hop excitedly in the air, fluttering about with wonder.

"I'll-!"Lena paused, turning to find the wayward owner, "I'll _take_ it! -but Em! Your movie!"

Scoffing immediately, Emily waved her off, "I appreciate the thought, but I know it would've been torture for you. You hang out here, I'll go see it; we'll meet up for a bite to eat at…two?"

"Alrighty!" Lena spoke up with enthusiasm, "Owner, sir, I'm at your service!"

"Bleh, it's _Quinn_ ; _Quinn_ , not 'sir'," the older man grumbled to his newest employee, shaking his head, "How're your technical, or, mechanical skills?"

Lena gave a smarmy sort of smirk as she scoffed, "S- Quinn, you're gonna be 'quinnterested' in the amount of time you'll be da-"

"Ah, stop right there," Quinn demanded with a low tone, waving his hand dismissively, "'nother one of those and this ends, ya hear?"

"Y-Yes, sir- Quinn…" Lena defeatedly muttered, her shoulders dragging toward the ground.

Quinn turned away, waving Lena along as though in orientation, though Emily quickly stepped up to meet her before she could follow, reaching a hand up to hold her pilot's cheek while leaving a gentle kiss upon her lips, breaking away with a smile.

"Get 'em, Len," Emily instructed warmly, "I'll see you at two, working girl."

Lena proudly grinned, holding her fists upon her waist, "Never fear, my dear. Oxtons are never outta work longer than-"

"Hey! Vapor Girl!" cried Quinn from the back, leaving Lena to nervously recoil away from Emily as she ducked back toward the counter.

"Eh, I'll- y'know. See you at two!" she finished, leaving Emily alone as she vaulted over the countertop to vanish into the back room.

The red head sighed with dropping shoulders, having missed out on Lena's returned kiss, though in a dash of blue light, Emily suddenly felt a pair of soft skin across her face as she took a step back, Lena having dashed into a kiss so quickly that her lover hadn't even noticed her presence beyond the streaks of blue light through strands of air. Such a thing only made Emily groan with a disappointed grin, shaking her head.

"You know I hate when you do that," she complained aloud, shaking her head.

She truly hated that it didn't last longer.

* * *

As the day progressed into the midday, a collection of Omnics began streaming through the arcade, most of them remaining civil, even if Lena wasn't quite sure what sort of benefit this place offered them. She had known enough Omnics in her day- they experienced…something like emotions, curiosity, and exploratory pings of questioning, though she hadn't any idea as to whether or not the legitimately had anything relating to 'fun'. Despite her affinity for such a thing as 'fun', she knew it wasn't anything that could be quantifiable to a computer program or, so far as she could tell, an artificial intelligence. Curiosity, and even basic emotions, were avenues toward gaining knowledge, but what was 'fun', or even 'entertainment', to robots?

To this end, as Lena walked along the arcade she kept an eye on the Omnics working the different arcade games, from the simple cabinets to the more elaborate ones that allowed dance or instrument work, though she still couldn't ascertain much. She strode along the line of machines, making her way toward Quinn, who was sitting in a desk chair by the counter, running a finger along his tablet while only raising an eye at Lena's arrival.

"Hey kid, thanks fer the help," he nodded mildly, "I was too afraid to get at that VVR game. The manufacturers weren't expecting Omnics to be shoving their feet into the base with a millions psi; screwed up more than the wiring."

Lena shrugged, turning to watch the small assortment of different Omnic at individual machines, "You know why they come to play these? I mean, I don't-"

"Ain't nothin' good ever came from asking questions," Quinn warned, "I couldn't give two shits _why_ they play. They do. It keeps me living comfortably, and hey, I was an arcade junkie as a kid; I get a kick outta seein'- now, I don't play 'em- it's neat ta see all these new things being popped out."

He turned his tablet toward Lena, allowing her a view, "I buy these all straight from the manufacturers, dirt cheap, since they all got something screwy with 'em and no parent this side of the 20th Century wants their human kids near them. Omnics couldn't care less, so hey, if I can turn a profit; so long as they'n't tearing junk up _too_ bad or shoving in fake coins, I don't care _what_ makes 'em play."

Lena eyes him with scrutinizing eyes, "Fake coins, really?"

"Pfft, who knows what they got goin' on in those metal buckets. You always hear stories of 'em counterfeitin' money and passing it off as genuine," Quinn shrugged, "Then you got ones like from earlier- they're just looking for a jolt to get off or whatever. Troublemakers, I tell ya! At least the lot of 'em don't cry or leave messes; I'd sell this place in a second if I had'ta bring in children to stay afloat, oy."

A sudden squealing of abrasive cogs rang through the air, catching the two humans' attention, though Quinn was quick to groan, "Eh, that BH6 model just got off Hurl-A-Whirl; thing's been on the fritz fer a week now, but that big load took it over the edge, I guess. Can you go check it out?"

Lena saluted with a happy, "Yes sir!"

He eyed her with distaste, forcing her face to screw into a low apology, "Oh, uh, _Quinn_. Sorry."

He murmured to himself, "It ain't nothin', but get to it, see what all we need for it."

The pilot nodded and headed on over, taking the time to examine the small amount of Omnics that had arrived, noticing them playing the games like any human, albeit with far more precision and skill. Nothing seemed much a challenged to them, Lena notes, further increasing her confusion as to why they continued to play these games, nearly breaking the games with ever-heightening scores.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, jolting to the side to find an Omnic, standing at one of her favorite cabinets, a trackball game that involved cognitive abilities, quick judgement; a few skills that Lena knew humans excelled at, which would obviously leave her high score unrivaled in an Omnic-only arcade. She snickered to herself as she approached from behind, her eyes gradually growing into disks as she stared at the high score continuing to increase at the hands of this mechanical player.

The Omnic had one single finger atop the trackball, rotating the thing, spinning it, nearly effortlessly as the screen matched its moves. Lena's mouth dropped at this machine standing there, making her own now-broken record seem like cupcakes, despite Lena having had to crawl up and down the cabinet after her hands grew tired, angrily attempting to ring up a score high enough to not ever be beat.

As she stood there, stewing, the Omnic suddenly turned toward her as though realizing it was being watched, though even without its face watching the screen, the mechanical being continued rolling the trackball, a hollow, grinding voice leaving its solid-state head, "You must be LenO."

Lena dropped her brow suspiciously, "…heard'a me? How'd you guess?"

The Omnic made a shrugging motion, "I had hoped to run into you. Most of these machines bear your name somewhere in the high scores."

"And what of it?" Lena challenged, crossing her arms, "So, it's an Omnic arcade, big deal."

The machine whirred and clicked as it spoke, "On the contrary, I was happy to find a human name along the scores. Here in England, as you know, Omnics haven't the same rights as humans, so many of my compatriots and I, we merely use our assigned names. Finding one that stood out from the zeroes and ones, it wasn't difficult to ascertain human intervention atop some of the charts."

Lena's eyes narrowed in curiosity as the Omnic continued rolling the trackball perfectly, despite his attention apparently being upon her, "I've spent weeks with this game. Trying to figure it out. Trying to figure out the person who has taken the one top score not belonging to me."

"Trying to prove," the machine man spoke with a rising tenor in his voice, "That I'm better than the human who was so clever to think this game was her's, and hers alone."

Lena's lips rose with a furious confidence as the Omnic whirred back toward the screen, shaking its polygonal head with something of a low giggle in its voice, "This is _my_ arcade, pipsqueak. You aren't to horn in on my-"

"What's your name..?" Lena grumbled lowly, an inquirous tone, "The only thing I hate more than Brussels sprouts are bullies, and I'm gonna make sure you get your just desserts, jerk."

The Omnic didn't reply, but a gust of steam exited his neck as if in a dismissive sigh, leaving Lena to peruse the nearby cabinets, mutters to herself with a determined scowl, "You can't play _all_ these at-"

She eyed the top score of every game as the screens scrolled, noticing a pattern. The numbers were all sequential, besides the cabinets where 'LenO' had been peppering in, beginning with 0100, 0110, 0111, always in ascending order.

She found nothing less than a lowest common denominator among the top of all of them, forcing a smirk across her face, "Maybe…this one, 0010."

The Omnic made a scoffing noise, "Yeah, you do- Hey!"

Crying out, the Omnic warily spun its shoulders toward Lena, still rolling the trackball as it was glued to the sight of Lena rolling a coin into the Lucio-branded arcade cabinet nearby, cocking her head over her shoulder to share a devious wink with the machine, "You think you're such a badass? Come and get this high score, too!"

Lena immediately began playing her cabinet, which immediately began to light up and flash as she racked up points, the theatrics catching 0010's attention far more than the near-silent trackball game he was playing. He pulled away, allowing his game to finish in a game over before quickly inputting '0010' and turning toward Lena's game, watching as the pilot bobbed and weaved her body side to side, excitedly pressing on.

"You're number two!" 0010 exclaimed with a mechanical start, earning an exuberant grin from the player.

Lena replied, "Uh huh! And I didn't have a reason to rack up my score even more last time! _Now_ , I do."

0010 watched with his non-expressive face, though his circuits ran warm with anticipation as Lena's score rose again and again, her fingers skillfully pushing for bonus after bonus, leaving 0010 more and more agitated. He stepped forward, pushing Lena away to the side as he tried to gain control of the machine, though Lena remained stalwart, her hand gripping the controls mightily.

0010 roared, "This game is mine!"

"Bugger off!" Lena cried, pushing the machine man away just as fiercely, "My coin, _my_ play!"

"Mine!"

"Mine!"

"No, mine!"

"Mine, human!"

 _CRAAASH_

Lena covered her head as she rolled to sit up atop the cold pavement of the sidewalk outside, peeking out from beneath her arms after catching that 0010 had been tossed out clear from her own trajectory. She spun around while on the ground, a pleading look across her face as Quinn angrily gripped the control panel of the arcade cabinet, wires splayed out with different components dangling from within the machine's guts, leaving a disgusted look on the boss' face.

"Q-Quinn!" Lena pleaded despite having just been thrown out on her ass.

"That's _sir_ , to you!" Quinn shouted angrily, shaking the control panel in his arms, the dangling circuitry flying all over the place, "You TORE UP my cabinet! BEYOND DISREPAIR!"

Lena immediately flinched as the man angrily threw the panel onto the sidewalk between the two individuals, sending a mighty _CRIIIISH_ as it galloped along the ground, slowly grinding to a stop. With that, Quinn turned to enter back into his arcade, shaking his head violently as fury poured from his lips.

"I never wanna see either of you here EVER again!" he cried out, "Buy me a new cabinet, and _MAYBE_ we'll talk!"

"B-But Quinn!"

The door to the arcade slammed shut, the visual of which alone caused Lena to shake as if she'd been the door itself. Her head fell, burying itself in her chest as she curled up with regret at having lost another job, and such a nice one at that. Her arms tangled around her head as tears began to well up along her eyes, both from having been so vehemently yelled at and from the realization that she'd have to tell Emily, once again, how much of a failure she was.

A winy whirring broke the air as 0010 turned its head in every direction as though unsure of what to do now, simply sitting with its legs straight out and turning to examine the torn-up arcade cabinet as if in some fleeting curiosity. It eyed Lena as well, though it was only a cursory sort of glance before it spoke up with a monotone voice.

"Well, onto other things. Maybe a library, or a-"

"A simple _apology_ would be nice!" Lena shouted, yanking her head up to stare at 0010 with red eyes.

0010 watched her expressionlessly, "I am unaware of any reason why I-"

"That's total rubbish and you _know_ it!" Lena cried out angrily, "It's _your_ fault we got kicked out! or are you too stupid to remember that idiotic stunt with sweeping your leg into the cabinet base?!"

The Omnic shrugged with a minute sort of movement, "I only recall you jumping onto the cabinet and declaring yourself 'victor over all digital beasts' while stomping on the buttons."

Lena frowned, shouting furiously, " _That_ was my job you cost me! Something I was actually able to do well for once!"

She angrily slammed her fist into her knee, dropping her head once again as she gave way to a whimpering sniffle, shaking her head, "I'm so worthless…"

0010 watched her with nothing resembling curiosity, though his head turned the other way at the sound of a group of voices approaching the two of them, a group of young guys strutting along the paved sidewalk, pushing and shoving each other in some bizarre show of comradery. Too lost in her sorrow, Lena didn't notice their approach, leaving 0010 with little to do but stare at the group as they turned their attention to the human-shaped robot sitting their with its head directed toward them in with curiosity.

The gaggle's leader snickered, throwing his shoulders up in some prostration of masculinity as he mocked aloud, "Sssss, check it out guys! I didn't know they collected trash this late in the day!"

His collection of jerks chuckled in unison as the young brute walked over to kick at the shattered arcade cabinet, turning toward 0010 with a sneer, "What, 's this your brother? Cousin, maybe? You look more like trash than _it_ does!"

"Pfft, ha ha!" cackled one of his cronies, "Yeah. I don't even see any holes in 'im! How's he s'posed ta do anythin' when there's nowhere to stick anythin'?!"

The group cackled with violent laughter, though 0010 didn't reply, nor did he move aside with his head turning to the group, one after the other, curiously, as if wondering what the big deal was. Soon enough, the leader gave a swift kick into the Omnic's chest, sending 0010's torso to the ground, leaving the gaggle to crack the air with laughter as their leader held his arms out wide, his empty show of bravado rousing his stags.

"This trash can's somethin' else!" he hollered with surprise, returning his attention to 0010 as the Omnic began picking himself up.

The young man sneered as he bent over closer to 0010, his body shaking with concealed laughter as he muttered just loud enough, "You're just nuts and bolts and shit ton of other garbage that isn't worth-"

Out of nowhere, the man cried out in pain as he suddenly vaulted into the air, somersaulting clear over 0010's body and hitting the sidewalk as if something had flown him ass-first into the air, his chin hitting the pavement with a deafening _crack_. 0010 turned, finding Lena to have disappeared, though he returned to catch the fright upon the gaggle's faces as they turned their heads, rapidly, seeking the source of whatever had-

"WAH!" cried the shortest of them, spinning in place until his dizziness overcame him, sending him toppling to the gravel below with his underwear stretched out so far so as to tie up his wrists behind his back, leaving his hind end rather uncomfortable as well.

The others began to huddle together with desperate worry, though 0010's eyes peered through the air, catching the glints of blue electricity that coursed through the air as the gaggle was picked off, one by one, until they were all subdued, writhing on the ground from having their guts punched or tied up by some nefarious means. 0010 turned his head to follow the bluish blur as it returned to the leader, who'd begun picking himself up, only to find Lena appear atop of him, slamming her foot into his back, keeping him pinned to the sidewalk.

"A-! A-AH-OOOOW!" the young man cried out painfully as Lena dug her heel into his lower back, bending over closer toward her prisoner.

She frowned with a vicious anger, shouting out, "YOU APOLOGIZE! NOW!"

"AH- I- I'M SORRY!"

"FOR WHAT?!"

The man cringed in agony, "AH-AOH! OWW! I- I DON'T KNOW!"

Lena dug her foot in with gritted teeth, twisting her heel into the space between ribs, forcing another whine from the young man, "Apologize to that Omnic! NOW!"

"AH- A! S-SORRY!" he whimpered aloud, tears streaming down his face.

Lena turned toward 0010, "Anything else?"

"I haven't the complete faculties to fully understand-"

"Demands!" Lena explained, "Any demands?!"

0010 paused, turning toward the cabinet in disrepair, then back toward Lena, "Have him care for my fallen comrade. Perhaps, then, its dismantling will not have been in vain."

"You hear that?!" Lena shouted out toward the crony beneath her foot.

He whined, "I- I don't know the first thing about technol- OW OW! STOP! I WILL! I WILL!"

"Read a book, why don'tcha," Lena complained as she released the man, who quickly pushed himself up, though his back slumped to escape the pain.

He turned to find his gang having abandoned him, quickly retrieving the torn-up collection of circuitry and paneling before waddling off in desperation, disappearing behind the nearest corner for fear of being tracked down once again. Lena watched with disinterest, shaking her head angrily as her hands clutched into fists.

"Such assholes," she muttered through clenched teeth, stamping a foot into the ground beneath her, "To treat someone like _that;_ like a hunk of junk. ARGH! Bet they'd hate it if _they_ were on the opposite side of the equation."

She kicked the cement below her as she trembled in anger, "Nobody deserves that shit."

0010 watched curiously as Lena did her best to take in deep breaths, the Omnic suddenly wondering aloud, "You offered assistance. without my requesting it, or even thinking it."

A quick chuckle escaped Lena as she dropped her head, "Boy, if that's not the first time that's applied to me…"

Curiously enough, 0010 rose to his feet, stepping toward Lena and patting her shoulder from behind, nodding sincerely, "You have this unit's thanks. If my broken comrade is given a home and those men's backsides have been given a stern warning, I'd say very little has turned out bad as a result of this ordeal."

"Yeah, except my not having a job anymore," Lena sighed, shrugging, "Don't worry about it. It's not as though it's the end of the world or anything. even if I'm good at literally nothing here in London."

0010 watched her solemnly, offering what little advice he was able, "It could be worse, human. You are capable of work, and there is always a need for such things. Those who aren't capable, like me, they are-"

A gentle sort of whirring came from within 0010's mechanical skull as though a system within him was being rebooted, a clicking sound ringing out before a POST beep, leading to his head sputtering to life once again. Lena watched with concern as 0010 looked around, almost wondrously, before turning to the arcade's marquee overhanging entrance.

"A…R…C…A…D…E…" he muttered quietly, "This unit was made for A…R…C…A…D…E…"

Lena's eyes curled sadly as she realized what was going on. She reached out to stop the Omnic, who obliged her guiding hand with a look of concern as if the machine were being reprimanded.

"Yes, human?"

Lena bit her lip, "Zero zero one zero?"

"Unrecognized," the machine replied, "This is unit 0011. Imprinting program demands I command and understand A…R…C…A…D…E."

Her hand sliding off the length of the Omnic's arm, Lena took a step back, silently lowering her head as 0011 continued toward the door, entering the arcade with a sauntering gait and a body that Quinn wouldn't be able to tell was anything but another like-branded robot. She reached up to dry her tears from earlier, as well as the fresh ones she'd shared with a comrade for but a few mere moments, before turning to leave, her shoulders hanging low.


	5. Oxton Family Virtues

Emily's eyes shifted up toward her half-finished glass of tea before returning to the phone she had cradled in her hands as she hunched over the table on the outside patio of 'Surfer Dave's Grill', her brow coiling sadly with concern. 2:17. Being fifteen minutes late wasn't abnormal, unless of course you were a woman capable of warping through the very air surrounding yourself. Lena wasn't ever late; it certainly wasn't possible, which every one of her friends knew, and especially for somebody she loved, Emily knew something must be wrong.

Her previous text message admitted as much, though she didn't even receive a reply from her fly girl, leaving Emily's lips to pull inward with concern as her fingers nervously toyed with her crimson hair. She brought herself back against the chair as she waved down a nearby waiter, tapping her phone against the man's sleeve to pay as she brought herself to her feet.

"Sorry, change of plans I suppose," she explained with a shaking head, "Thank you though."

He shrugged dismissively as she started off, her pace slightly quicker than what she might have thought were this all a thought experiment as she slept in Lena's tightening hold. She knew Lena's usual line of work wasn't safe, and was downright dangerous at times- just because Overwatch was gone didn't mean the bad guys weren't.

Emily's mind raced. The two's darkest nights often involved Lena seriously drawing out plans for what Emily was to do were somebody… if some _thing_ were to come to the door in Lena's absence. The reverse was hardly ever discussed; who on Earth could possibly overcome the furious flighter?

Who indeed, Emily began to wonder, though she immediately shook such thoughts from her mind, knowing her mind was beginning a spiral of overreaction that could very well overcome her were she to allow such a thing to occur. Instead, she created a list in her mind of her partner's favorite places, figuring she should check each one out, at the very least, before calling 'the big guy', Winston.

or Angela. Lena would always say, under her breath, that Angela Ziegler was the one she trusted the most, despite the two not having shared a word for years now.

Emily went down bullet points in her head as she strode quickly through the crowded sidewalk, dipping her shoulders to avoid being struck by oncoming traffic. 'The Fable Walk'? No, they were under new management and Lena hated their napkin dispensers. 'Hungry Oak'? Nah; they'd gone French, 'le Coin du Quai', and Emily knew how Lena, or rather the 'Oxtons', felt about such things.

She sighed, slowing to a stop as she grumbled to herself, turning around. It was so obvious, she thought, as she turned her head up to watch the midday sun in the sky, a light breeze forcing her to yank her collar up to conceal her neck from the wintery chill. Then, she was off.

* * *

Lena dug her thumb and forefinger into the sand beside her, pulling them up just to watch the bit of sand there trickle back down onto the beach before dropping her hand back into the ground. Her head fell forward regretfully as her shoulders slid down the face of the retaining wall she was seated against, eyes held closed with shame as she thought about having to tell Emily about another job she'd been fired from, one that she had seemed to have been destined for, at that.

For all the reassuring words Emily had shared with her, it didn't do much to quell how worthless Lena felt at the thought of being unwanted, feelings that had haunted her for most of her life. Her energy, fierce loyalty, and her resilience to serve in Overwatch all stemmed from this history of hers, a history buried so deep within her mind that had now reared itself firmly entrenched in this waking moment.

All she heard was the gently crashing waves as they swept up the edge of the beach, a constantly calming noise, normally, that now only served as a soothing white noise that Lena had hoped would calm her, but to little avail. She would often come here the first few nights back home after missions, simply to unwind as though the rhythmic waves were awash overtop her mind, though such deep-seated insecurities wouldn't go away, certainly not after these many years.

"You're a hard woman to find," came a voice from above.

Lena pulled her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms to her knees as she lowered her head, "I wasn't hiding or nothin'…"

"Uh huh," Emily nodded sarcastically as she turned to make her way down the stairway that led to the beach below, "You had me worried, you know."

"You always say you can handle yourself," Lena mumbled.

Emily rolled her eyes, "Worried about _you_ , dummy. You never turn down a date with two of your favorite things."

The red head approached Lena with a sauntering gait, wordlessly bringing her coat up against the backs of her legs as she sat down, not bothering that the sand would probably ruin the attire, speaking up instead, "Luckily, I brought both of them to you, instead. I had a _hunch_ something was up on my way over here, so I stopped at a store and brought you something."

"Don't," Lena murmured from buried between her legs and chest, "I'm sulking."

Emily grinned at her honestly, digging her hands into her coat pockets, "Wow, well that mustn't be all that fun to avoid a date with me and food just to sulk, huh?"

She pulled out a tin-foil wrapped sandwich, tearing at its wrapping to unleash a thick plume of steam into the air, forcing Emily to throw her arms out to avoid the scalding air from reaching her face though she quickly offered the foil-plated delicacy to her partner. Without a word, Lena began to stir from within her bodily shell, her eyes slowly peering out from above her coiled arms at the steamy treat,

Emily smiled, "It's Harry's. I know you like their submarine sandwiches."

Lena's face visibly scrunched in anger as she unraveled one of her arms, feebly reaching over to retrieve the sandwich as she grumbled lowly, "I hate being predictable…"

Grinning, Emily allowed her to take the sandwich before crushing the foil in her hands, "Why? I don't have to find a manual to know how to make you feel better. You know, I just- I just know."

"I like that I know," Emily concluded with a softly sincere smile, "It means I've learned so much about somebody else."

Still holding onto feigned anger to appear as though her sulking had been worth far more than it appeared, Lena couldn't help but grumble at how difficult Emily was making her entire façade. She took a bite of the delicious meal, turning away as she chewed in case she suddenly shed her demeanor for one of glorious satisfaction.

Emily giggled mutedly, "You weren't sulking all that hard, huh?"

"No," Lena groaned, finally giving up and returning to her normal seated position, "I just…"

She bit her lips, though took a bite to eat as if noticing she could chew and hide her words all at once, "Igwatguayared."

"What?" Emily asked with confusion.

Having somewhat spoken the words took something of the edge off, leaving Lena with a bit of confidence as she swallowed, though she still lowered her head to hide her constricting lips, "I got fired…"

"Really?" Emily asked with surprise, "But I thought-"

"That it was perfect, right?" Lena suddenly charged, "That I'd be excellent at something for once, huh?! Little did you know, I'm Lena Oxton; I can't keep myself from tripping over my freaking two left feet every time I start anything!"

She shook her head, angrily taking another small bite, "I can't stay the fuck outta my own stupid way…"

Emily watched her with a downtrodden face, unsure of how to answer as Lena finished another bite before shaking her head again, "I shoulda known it felt too perfect. I always ruin those sorts of things. I don't have that part of the brain that says "Hold up, stupid"- I just-"

She turned toward Emily with a shrug, "There was an Omnic there- I thought I was doing something noble! He was going out of his way to steal everybody's high scores; there's no fun at that! but I don't have that 'stupid' thing; turns out that's what he's supposed to do and I ruined it for him before he-"

She bit her lip, remaining stagnant for a brief moment before desperately taking another bite of her sandwich as if chewing would hold back her tears. Her head shook despondently as it fell into her chest once again.

A shiver tore through her body as Emily took her shoulder into her hand, clutching Lena tightly as she spoke lowly, not wanting to alter the mood, "We're perfect. and you couldn't ruin us."

Lena's eyes fell, quickly shutting as a welling symphony of tears appeared, quickly bringing a hand up to hide her face, "C-Cut it out."

"I mean it," Emily continued, "You're not a hero because you're a good pilot or because you can warp or whatever. You're a hero _because_ you don't have that part of your brain that tells you to stop doing what's right."

She ran a thumb along Lena's shoulder, a tender enough touch to convey her smile without Lena even seeing it, "You think we would have ever met if you'd had it? What kind of crazy girl knocks over fifty people in a crowd just to stop a crook who stole some old lady's purse?"

Lena silently shook her head, leaving Emily to finish, "And what kind of crazy girl goes back, after apprehending said crook, and checks on each person she knocked over to make sure they're alright?"

Remaining unmoved, Lena stayed silent, leaving Emily to continue along with a grin, trying to lighten the mood, "C'mon, love. I'm sure there's one of those Oxton rules that mentions finding the brightest things even in-"

"There are no Oxtons."

Emily's face dropped with concern as Lena raised her head, propping in atop her knees as she stared out toward the oceans with reddened wet eyes, "I saw the name on a bloody crate at the orphanage I grew up in."

Unable to fully understand this new development, Emily's eyes dropped in reverent silence, though her hand remained firmly atop Lena's shoulder, even as she shrugged, continuing along, "I thought it sounded cool. My parents didn't want me, these jobs don't want me. I can't blame any of 'em; I'm a mess."

Lena twitched at the sound of sand being stirred while Emily scooted closer, pulling herself close enough so that she could worm her way around Lena's shoulders, pulling her into half of a hug, running her hand up and down her furthest arm. Lena remained focused on the far out ocean despite her head rocking back and forth, stopping only as Emily rested her head atop her shoulder.

"You're not a mess," Emily confirmed, "And even if you were, you'd be _my_ mess. and there's no way I wouldn't love you even then."

Lena frowned at the tender sentiment, groaning, "You know, you don't _always_ have to be so sweet."

"Maybe not," Emily smiled, "But I like to be your biggest fan. Especially now with Overwatch being shut down; you need somebody to be your cheerleader. I just so happen to enjoy being cute."

Rolling her eyes, Lena turned her head to watch Emily's resting on her shoulder, eyes closed as she simply enjoyed the cool air blanketing the warmth she felt from the body beside her, " _Too_ cute, sometimes."

"Like that's a bad thing," Emily mused as her lips curled upward.

Her eyes still closed in solemn refrain, Emily suddenly felt a softness against her lips, such a warmth she'd become so incredibly familiar with, yet she never tired of feeling. Her turned lips returned with a kiss of her own, their sincere kiss being shared for a few moments before Lena pulled away, watching so intently that comforting face that stared back at her.

"Now _you're_ too cute," Emily accused without emotion, simply lost in the serious-looking face of her partner, a look she didn't see often, but which held tremendous power over her.

Lena didn't reply, leaving Emily to grin as a humorous thought came to mind, "Not the first time you've had food on your breath while we've kissed."

Grumbling, Lena's lips turned with dismay, "I'm simply abdicating something I really like for something I truly love. Don't get jealous; food is always beneath you on the totem pole."

"I'm not jealous," Emily forced with a wry smile, "It's like an adventure every time you kiss me. Especially when you're on the move so often at work; I get to find out where you've been without you having to say a word sometimes."

Lena rolled her eyes, turning away to hide a blush as Emily giggled, the pilot muttering in reply, "Dummy…"

Her head nuzzling into Lena's neck, Emily concluded quietly, "Why don't you finish your sandwich and we go on home, okay? It's too cold out here."

She eyed Lena's face from below, "I don't care how many people don't want you. I always want you. In fact, in pains me when I want you and you're too busy saving the world. Even when you kick me off the bed and I'm one groggy pain in the morning, I still want you."

"Even now?" Lena asked, "Knowing I'm a bloody mess?"

Emily smiled, "I want you out of the cold. and then I want you at the table for our dinner. Basically, while you're home, I want you with me whenever that's possible. Why'd you think I didn't mind you not getting a job for these off days of yours?"

"I just-," Lena paused with a worrisome frown, "I've been helpless before. 'n I don't want anything to happen that makes me, or anybody, really, feel like that again."

Her eyes falling toward the sand, Emily muttered, "I guess I do sound kind of selfish, wanting you around all the time. I don't want you feeling that either, especially with your usual job being shut down for the time being."

"Look," Emily went on with a sigh, "I sorta got excited when you said you'd be here more often. Y'know, there are so many nights where I'm watching stuff or reading or whatever; so many nights where all I want is you here to break down the monotony. Now that it's possible, I was just, you know, a tad bit over-excited, I suppose."

Lena chuckled silently, her quivering shoulders causing Emily to pull her head away to avoid the discomfort, leaving her in Lena's view as the pilot spoke up, "Funny. I thought _I_ was the clingy one."

"Oh hush, I'm not _that_ bad," Emily mused with a sarcastic roll of her head, "Look, if you want to find work while you're waiting for Overwatch, I'm fine with that. I just don't want you getting upset because they don't fit your mold. If they don't, it's _their_ loss, not yours."

"I know," Lena smiled weakly, "It just hurts sometimes, y'know?"

Emily nodded, "Oh yeah, I know. My parents. Me. I've got a pretty good idea."

Lena turned to watch Emily's face grow more distant as she sighed, her shoulders slouching as she recalled her parents, muttering softly, "My last name is one my parents would much rather I didn't have anymore. I've all but been orphaned myself. Count yourself lucky, love; you have a name you chose, a name that will always be a part of something you want. Mine is just a reminder of how unwanted I am by the people who're supposed to be there for me the most."

She sighed, recalling that she'd come here to cheer Lena up, not bog down their spirits, so she put on a weakly brave smile, shrugging off her words, "It's no big deal, though, really. It doesn't bother me at-"

"Why not change it?" Lena asked sincerely, as though it were the easiest thing.

Emily gave a quick laugh, laced with incredulity, "W-What?"

"Be an Oxton," Lena smiled, "I don't have much of anything tangible to offer you in the way of a long-term relationship; I don't have a family to share, I don't own a castle or anything. But I have a name that I've protected and made as reputable as I could possibly make it, one untarnished by conditional love or unloving parents."

She smiled, "Why not take it?"

"I- What?" Emily asked between confused gasps of laughter, "Lena, I don't think that's how it-"

Lena shrugged, "It's gonna happen sooner or later, right? Like you said, we're perfect."

This ability of Lena's, what she called the 'shut up' part of her brain a moment ago, to wade through any and all matters that made so little sense was a quality that Emily, who was often so cautious or analytical, admired greatly. Where so many people would circle around, speaking in vague terms, trying to find a way to touch upon a point that might make them seem silly, Lena would so easily pounce upon that point in her characteristically wily way, while at the same time making it seem like the easiest thing in the world.

By now, with nothing between the two having ever even bordered on talk of _that_ kind of relationship, Emily began to blush, "Y-You, uh-"

Lena smirked, "Maybe just think about it. My name will always be here."

"Y-Yeah, while you keep adding 'Oxton family rules' to it," Emily managed with a grin.

Her partner crossed her arms, showing off a rather prodigious expression as she spoke quietly, as if imparting some ancient responsibility upon the woman she loved, "Okay, why don't you create one, then?"

"What?"

"We'll keep a list or something," Lena smiled, "I mean, I'll have to drop the French one, but between you and I, we could come up with some-"

"Oxtons remember their loved ones will be there for them," Emily interrupted, "Always. Oxton Family Virtue."

Lena smiled, "You're gettin' the hang of it, love."

"I'm simply learning from the best Oxton there is," Emily confirmed, leaning her body to rest against her lover's, the two growing silent amidst the cold flurry of wind that surrounded them, yet seemed so insignificant against the warmth shared between them.


End file.
